Peep drops in Bethlehem to ring in new year

View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | MATT SMITHCannons shoot confetti as a giant replica Peep drops in Bethlehem to celebrate the arrival of 2011. The Peep came down at 5:45 this evening so families with young children could celebrate.

It’s not out of the ordinary to find marshmallow Peeps on store shelves or in Easter baskets. But it’s not every day that a lighted Peep replica dangles from a crane in historic Bethlehem.

Chants of “Drop that Peep!” rang out just before the crane dropped the yellow, lighted Peep at Spring and Main streets near the Christkindlmarkt tents at 5:45 this evening. Hundreds of people gathered to welcome the New Year at the Peep drop on the last day of a three-day Peep Fest in Bethlehem.

The Peep mascot, outfitted with a red scarf, entertained the crowd, which helped count down to the drop. Once the Peep landed, confetti covered the crowd and fireworks erupted as boxes of Peeps were distributed. Just Born Inc. of Bethlehem manufactures the marshmallow treats that inspired the replica.

Tom and Andrea Keenan brought their children, Ben, 5, and Matt, 3, to the Peep drop.

“It’s an awesome part of being in Bethlehem,” said Andrea Keenan, who ran the Peeps 5k earlier in the day. She said the boys wanted to know everything about the marshmallow chick.

“They wanted to know how much it weighs,” she said. “They wanted to know if they could eat it. They thought it was a real Peep.”

The replica Peep is 4½ feet tall, 5 feet wide and 6 feet long at its longest point, ArtsQuest spokesman Mark Demko said. It weighs 85 pounds. Like its marshmallow counterparts, the Fiberglas Peep is native to Pennsylvania. Fleetwood Fixtures of Leesport, Berks County, manufactured it.

Joann Janci, of Schnecksville, and her boyfriend, Rick Mar, brought Janci’s daughter, Alexas Prodes, 10, and her niece, Sami Jo Henning, 12, to the Peep drop. Mar outfitted the family with beads, noisemakers and whistles for the big drop.

“Why wouldn’t you want to see a giant Peep? When will you ever see one again?” Prodes said.

“It’s awesome,” Henning chimed in.

ArtsQuest and Just Born Inc. sponsored the Peep drops. While a midnight Peep drop has been a Lehigh Valley attraction for the past several years, this is only the second year for the 5:45 drop, which celebrated the culmination of the three-day Peeps Fest, Demko said. Fireworks follow both the earlier and midnight drop. Demko said the 5:45 p.m. drop gives families a chance to celebrate the New Year in Bethlehem.

“This is a great way for the community to welcome in the New Year in a fun and creative way,” Demko said. “Everyone is really interested in the Peeps chick drop. It brings some great attention to Bethlehem and the entire Lehigh Valley.”

After the drop, many families stuck around to watch the fireworks display. Marina Kenny, of Marshalls Creek, watched with her daughter, Katarina, 4.